Resting heart rate is the number of contractions of the heart that occur during a period of time, such as one minute, while the body is at rest. Resting heart rate is regarded as a significant indicator of one's level of fitness, as a strong heart can pump more blood with each contraction, thus needing to contract fewer times in a minute to provide adequate blood flow. Resting heart rate can also be an indicator of health condition, as resting heart rate tends to increase with fever. As such, many people are interested in determining their resting heart rate.
One way of measuring resting heart rate is to count contractions—such as by palpating an artery—for one minute immediately upon waking. Another way of measuring resting heart rate is to wear an electrocardiogram (“ECG”) monitor during sleep as part of a medical sleep study.